HOW YOU, LIKE ST MARY MAGDALENE, MAY HONOR JESUS CHRIST WITH PRECIOUS OINTMENT

On her Feast, the most devout St Mary Magdalene appeared to St Gertrude arrayed in many unusual flowers and precious gems. The great number of flowers and gems signified the exact number of sins she had committed before her conversion. They were so big a number because Mary Magdalene was given to a life of extreme sin before she became Jesus's fervent follower. Every flower, however,  stood for a time when the Lord God had forgiven her a sin and the glorious gems were for her acts of penance in reparation for her sins.

Then Gertrude was given a most sublime vision of Mary Magdalene casting herself at the feet of Jesus whereupon she kissed Them gently. She held each of His feet up in the air like she was inviting repentant sinners to kiss Them, too. Gertrude accepted the invitation and she fell at Our Lord's feet and kissed then tenderly as she had seen Mary Magdalene. She wept and bathed Jesus's feet with her tears, "I water Thy blessed Feet with my tears."

Gertrude was given the insight that souls who trusted totally in God's goodness did by their act of trust the same affection as kissing His feet. She was given the understanding that souls who stay away from doing anything that upsets Our Lord do by their resistance to sin the same as though they had lovingly poured precious ointment on His feet.

Our Lord and St Gertrude then conversed as to the time Mary Magdalene came with a white marble box filled with a costly ointment that she poured on Jesus's Head. Gertrude sought to know of Jesus if she could be like Mary Magdalene, "Can I not render Thee a similar service?" Getrude earnestly asked Our Lord. He gave her an answer relevant to herself and all who were to come after her, "Whosoever desires that My glory may be promoted in all things,  in preference to his own advantage or convenience,  purchases a most precious ointment for Me."

Our Lord allowed one merciful clause, "Although it may often happen that his good will cannot be carried into affect."

If like Mary Magdalene, you make your will very resistant to sin and if you desire Our Lord's glory, you do for Him the same as though you had gone to great trouble to get most rare ointment fit for a king and anointed His Feet.

Our Lord, in His infinite goodness, does not hold you to the outcome, if you desire His glory and yet circumstances and people act against this,  Our Lord honors that your will is to honor Him.

Happy Feast of St Mary Magdalene! I invite you to pray as I am praying for myself that I may develop  Mary Magdalene's white hot love for Our Lord and her die-hard determination never to displease Him.

This post was informed by The Life and Revelations of St Gertrude the Great which is available in the Spirit Daily bookstore.